MA in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
You’ll develop a solid foundation in the theoretical and practical skills of professional counseling and meet the California requirements to get your license as a marriage and family therapist (MFT). Learn from professionally active faculty-mentors and benefit from interdisciplinary studies in theology, ethics, and psychotherapy that equip you to care for the whole person. You’ll boost your résumé by earning the Gottman Couples Level 1 Certificate during core coursework, and you’ll have the opportunity to pursue a Substance Use Disorder Certificate, Play Therapy Certificate, or dual licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) with additional units.
Gain Hands-on Experience
- Complete at least 225 hours of first-hand clinical experience.
- Learn from faculty-mentors with extensive professional experience.
- Integrate spirituality and values with practice.
- Meet current California MFT licensure requirements.
Program Details
The MFT program is dedicated to the education and training of competent, self-aware, and culturally sensitive family therapists. Using a foundation in Christian faith, a systemic family psychology approach, and an integration of theories of psychotherapy, students explore personal, ethical, and social values as they prepare to serve the needs of their communities.
Admissions
Curriculum
Course Requirements
The degree must be completed in a minimum of two years and a maximum of six. Any extensions beyond six years must be requested as an exception to APU policy and must be submitted in writing on an Academic General Petition. A three-year course of study is recommended for most working students. The program is composed of 63 units of coursework. A maximum of 12 units of selected coursework, which meet the following criteria, may be transferred:
- Taken within the past eight years and completed with a grade of B or better
- Obtained at a regionally accredited institution
- Received from a graduate program in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or marriage and family therapy
- Acceptable for California MFT licensing requirements
- Approval by the program director
Students in the program must maintain a 3.0 GPA with no course grade lower than a C-. Course resulting in grades lower than a C- will be retaken. In order to graduate, students may not have more than two instances of a C+/- on their transcript. If a student receives a third C+/-, the student will be required to retake one of the courses and receive a B- or better.
Program Requirements
- Psychotherapy and Cultural Diversity
- Addictions, Assessment, and Interventions 1
- Legal, Ethical, and Moral Issues in Therapy
- Crisis and Trauma in Community Mental Health
- Christian Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy
- Theories of Psychotherapy
- Human Sexuality and Sex Therapy
- Couples Therapy
- Advanced Developmental Psychology
- Child and Adolescent Therapy
- Psychopathology
- Family Therapy
- Research Methodology
- Psychological Assessment
- Introduction to Clinical Practice: Basic Skills
- Introduction to Clinical Practice: Advanced Skills
- Group Skills
- Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology
- Introduction to Clinical Placement
- Clinical Consultation 2
- Special Topics 3
- Clinical Placement I
- Clinical Placement II
Optional Certificate in Play Therapy
Choose three of the following:
- Play Therapy: History, Theories, and Interventions
- Jungian Therapy and Sandplay
- Play and Play Therapy Across the Lifespan
- Gestalt Play Therapy and Interventions
- Play Therapy with Special Populations
- Play Therapy with Bereaved Children and Families
Optional Certificate in Substance Use Disorders 1
- Substance Use Disorders II: History, Support, and Promising Practices
- Substance Use Disorders III: Co-Occurring Disorders, Co-Morbidity, and Integrated Treatment
- SUD IV: Families and Other Special Populations; Confidentiality and Evidence-Based Practices
- Legal and Ethical Issues in Substance Use Disorders
- Motivational Interviewing with the SUD Population
Optional Electives
- Career Development Theories and Techniques
- Global Psychology 4
Program Outcome
Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:
- Diversity: The program will produce graduates who can apply their knowledge of family therapy in a culturally appropriate manner to a wide range of demographic groups.
- Identity Formation: The program will produce graduates who demonstrate an awareness of their personal narrative and how it impacts their contribution to the field of marriage and family therapy.
- Ethical practice: The program will produce graduates who will become clinicians who are ethically grounded, demonstrate integrity, and operate within the laws of the profession.
- Competency: The program will prepare graduates to effectively utilize a variety of theoretical approaches to marriage and family therapy.